Arab Leaders Change Views

THE ROYAL COMMISSION’S PROPOSALS HAVE BROUGHT HOME TO THE ARABS THE FACT THAT ARAB-JEWISH UNDERSTANDING WOULD BE OF MUTUAL ADVANTAGE AND IMPORTANCE TO BOTH SIDES, REPORTS JOSEPH M. LEVY IN A DISPATCH TO THE NEW YORK TIMES FROM JERUSALEM FOLLOWING A FIVE-DAY SURVEY OF ARAB REACTION TO PARTITION.

ARAB LEADERS HAVE CHANGED THEIR IDEAS IN THE PAST THREE WEEKS AND THE “COMMISSION’S PROPOSALS MADE THE ARABS REALIZE THAT PARTITION WOULD DEPRIVE THEM AND THE JEWS OF MONEY, PROGRESS AND INITIATIVE,” MR. LEVY STATES.

ARAB LEADERS SUGGEST THAT SOME FOREIGN ARAB COUNTRY, SUCH AS EGYPT, IRAQ, OR SAUDI ARABIA, BE ASKED SECRETLY BY BRITAIN TO SEND LEADERS TO PALESTINE TO ATTEMPT TO NEGOTIATE THE CONCILIATION OF ARABS AND JEWS ON THE BASIS OF SUGGESTIONS BY VISCOUNT SAMUEL AND DR. JUDAH L. MAGNES OR SOME SIMILAR PROPOSAL.

THE DELAY ENFORCED BY THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT IN THE PARTITIONING OF PALESTINE WAS HAILED EDITORIALLY BY THE TIMES. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S YIELDING ON PARLIAMENT’S DEMAND THAT IT HAVE TIME TO STUDY THE PARTITION PLAN BEFORE COMMITTING ITSELF WAS A SIGN, THE TIMES SAID, THAT PRIME MINISTER NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN’S “OWN PUBLIC OPINION IS OBVIOUSLY NOT PREPARED TO SUBSCRIBE OUT OF HAND TO A SCHEME WHICH IT IS NO EXAGGERATION TO SAY HAS BEEN SPRUNG ON THE COUNTRY WITH EXTRAORDINARY AND UNDUE HASTE.”

THE COMPROMISE MEASURE BY WHICH THE GOVERNMENT IS ALLOWED TO LAY THE PLAN BEFORE THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS WAS DESCRIBED BY THE TIMES AS “A GRACEFUL TECHNICAL RETREAT TO GENEVA.”